The Juvenile Justice Council (JJC) is the local governing body charged with improving juvenile justice issues in Kane County at a system level. By reviewing data and utilizing input from stakeholders, priorities are identified and addressed through action plans. The council consists of stakeholders from inside and outside the juvenile court system. Public Defender Rachele Conant chairs the group. The board of directors meets monthly and the full council meets quarterly.
Over the past year, the JJC engaged in a project with a national organization, the Council of State Governments (CSG), to take a deeper look at what our local juvenile justice system does well and where there may be opportunities to improve. Local data and policies were reviewed and listening sessions with key stakeholders who work in the system were facilitated to gather information. Based on the findings, the JJC has prioritized the following: expanding the use of diversion at the police department level and once cases are referred to Court Services, refining procedures that improve how cases are processed once they are involved in court, and developing more individualized approaches once youth are placed on probation. The JJC has already begun work around expanding diversion by forming a work group to explore how station adjustments are used by departments in Kane County and collaborating to develop forms that can be used by officers to implement station adjustments with youth.
In addition to implementing plans around the identified priorities from the project with CSG, the JJC is also in the process of exploring how to expand family involvement within the JJC, particularly to ensure that the voices of youth and family members impacted by system involvement can be integrated into discussions where policies and procedures are being updated.
